Namibia is one of the world's most lightly populated countries, with vast swathes of the most remarkable desert scenery ... a truly special place.
There is game here, but not in the densities of other safari countries, making it not necessarily an ideal location for a first timers to Africa.
The most popular way to get around is by road, with an inner network of decent roads being safe to self-drive and connecting the popular attractions such as Sossusvlei and Etosha.
The very best locations are those truly wild areas which lie out of range of self-drivers, such as Skeleton Coast North, Kaokaland West, Damaraland North and Namibrand, which are more often accessed by light aircraft.
But a flying safari usually works out around three times the price of self-driving, so what we often do is start with a core of self-drive and then add in shorter flying and guided segments ... a combination which offers the broadest range of experience at a more accessible price range.
Take a look at our full list of lodges for the country.
There is game here, but not in the densities of other safari countries, making it not necessarily an ideal location for a first timers to Africa.
The most popular way to get around is by road, with an inner network of decent roads being safe to self-drive and connecting the popular attractions such as Sossusvlei and Etosha.
The very best locations are those truly wild areas which lie out of range of self-drivers, such as Skeleton Coast North, Kaokaland West, Damaraland North and Namibrand, which are more often accessed by light aircraft.
But a flying safari usually works out around three times the price of self-driving, so what we often do is start with a core of self-drive and then add in shorter flying and guided segments ... a combination which offers the broadest range of experience at a more accessible price range.
Take a look at our full list of lodges for the country.
Namibia visas
Most nationalities do not require a visa to enter Namibia.
You are however required to have a passport with at least six months remaining validity at the time of your planned departure from the country. You are also officially required to have a departing ticket, although in practise this is very rarely checked.
Please check online with your local consulate for details and updates.
Health
Visitors to Namibia should check with their medical practitioner for health requirements.
It is likely that you will need to to check that you have a number of vaccinations up to date. It is however unlikely that you will be prescribed a course of anti-malarial tablets unless you are visiting the far northeast of the country and/or you are visiting during the rains in January to April.
As travel specialists we are no longer permitted to offer specific advice on health issues, but please feel free to ask our sales team about their personal experiences.
Namibia Currency and Money
The currency in Namibia is the Namibian dollar, N$, whose exchange rate is pegged to the South African Rand.
By far the easiest and cheapest way to travel in Namibia is by carrying cash, preferably in N$, although this obviously heightens the risk of loss or theft. N$ can be obtained at the international airport and at banks in most major towns.
SA Rand are also widely accepted. Other hard currencies can be used, notably US$ or Euro, although may be subject to an unfavourable rate of exchange.
There are ATM's in the major urban centres, where banks can also be found. Otherwise it may be possible to get cash advances from lodges in case of emergency.
Credit and debit cards are now accepted at most lodges and can be used to make payments. Virtually all outlets charge a significant premium for using a card, 5% to 10% is common, higher rates in excess of 25% can be encountered.
Some people continue the tradition of carrying travellers' cheques, which are still accepted by many locations, although may well attract a significant premiums comparable or even worse than those noted for card payments above. If you do go this route then we recommend keeping denominations to US$100 and lower.
Generally speaking your on-the-ground expenditure should not run to the same levels that they might on other trips, since all of your accommodation is pre-paid, as may be many of your meals and activities.
Most of our guests tend to mix cash and credit cards. If you ever get in a hole, then your Namibia safari operator or lodge owner should be able to bail you out, with our assistance where necessary.
Namibia security
Generally speaking Namibia is a very safe place to visit. The only type of incident which we hear about with significant regularity is the rolling of self-drive vehicles generally due to people driving too fast.
In terms of political security and theft, incidents are also very low, although we do still recommend that you refer to your own governmental travel advisories ...
UK : Foreign and Commonwealth Office : www.fco.gov.uk
USA : Department of State : http://travel.state.gov
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